Community Of Practice Model Research Articles

EPortfolio-based Professional Development: Insights from a Southeast Asian Online Educators’ Community of Practice

This study examines the implementation and impacts of an ePortfolio-based professional learning initiative within a Southeast Asian online community of practice (CoP), part of the SEAMEO-AUS EduLink Project. Targeting the development of educators' competencies in ePortfolio pedagogy, the project engaged 541 educators from various Southeast Asian countries in two online self-paced courses and a series of four expert-led webinars, culminating in a final project webinar. The research utilised course analytics and post-webinar surveys to analyse participant engagement, satisfaction, and perceived learning outcomes. The findings indicate substantial engagement with the courses and positive reception of the webinar series. About 75% of participants completed the asynchronous courses, while 64% found the webinar content immediately applicable to their practice. The webinars, focusing on diverse aspects of ePortfolio use, successfully complement the online courses, with 91% of participants expressing intent to attend future events. This study underscores the effectiveness of combining asynchronous and synchronous learning modalities in professional development, particularly in the context of ePortfolios. It highlights the role of ePortfolios in promoting reflective practice, collaborative learning, and authentic assessment. Additionally, the project's success in fostering a supportive CoP model illustrates the potential of online communities in professional development, especially in regions with emerging ePortfolio practices. The paper concludes by emphasising the value of ePortfolio-based initiatives in enhancing educators' skills and fostering cross-cultural educational collaborations. It offers recommendations for educators and policymakers on implementing similar initiatives, underlining the need for sustainable and contextually sensitive approaches in professional development.

Developing a Supportive Community of Practice

This paper employs a qualitative case study to suggest how the research journey of doctoral students can be improved in educational institutions by encouraging the formation of small and informal Communities of Practice (CoP). It examines themes emerging from the feelings and opinions of four part-time professional doctorate students about their study experience and participation in their emergent CoP. A peer group developed where the students share their experience, expertise, insight, and knowledge in a caring and supportive, but informal, forum. CoP could become an effective tool to aid retention, identity development and wellbeing of postgraduate level students, factors which have been previously identified as key areas of risk. An autoethnographic approach was used to review the feelings, perceptions, and opinions of the four case study group members about their experiences of the informal CoP to date. Thematic analysis of transcripts and WhatsApp communications was used to reveal the perceived common benefits and gains from participation in the informal CoP such as joy, safe spaces, and identity development, aligning members experiences to a CoP lifecycle. The study found small group formation at doctoral programme induction, and encouragement for students to organise their own regular study days using of social channels, may impact overall success. Application and adaptation of this doctoral CoP model could form the basis for future research and a model for academic institutions to suggest to new and existing students

Using drawing to study student research experiences

The communities of practice (COP) framework describes learning as a process of navigating one’s position of membership within a community of professionals pursuing a set of common goals using established practices. As students navigate their membership within a community like a physics research group, they develop a mental model of the community of practice and use this model to guide their future career decisions. Drawing has been shown to illustrate students’ perspectives and experiences, offering important benefits as a source of qualitative information. In this proof-of-concept paper, we explore how a drawing survey can be used to identify elements of a student’s COP model in the context of a research group. We describe the development and validation of this drawing survey using the response process evaluation method. This method establishes the degree to which students interpret survey prompts as intended. We then review a sample of seven student drawings made in response to the survey to investigate the degree to which the survey generates sufficient data to examine a student’s COP model. Finally, we demonstrate a use case examining N=23 drawings that allow us to identify patterns and possible differences in responses from different student groups (physics majors and biology majors). We then reflect on this use of a drawing survey by highlighting important aspects of the process and discussing limitations. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Perceptions of Communities of Practice and Sense of Belonging: Focus Groups of Academic Pediatric Faculty.

Providing the opportunity for collaboration around a central purpose to improve skills and exchange knowledge, the Community of Practice model can be useful for faculty development. A sense of belonging enhances the engagement in communities. Yet, the barriers and contributors to academic medicine faculty's sense of belonging in communities are not as well explored. Through focus groups with 21 academic pediatric faculty conducted between January and March 2023, this qualitative study examined knowledge of Communities of Practice and the factors that affect sense of belonging and engagement. The authors iteratively coded transcripts to generate themes. Community accessibility; opportunities for active engagement; working under a clear, shared purpose; and personal interactions enhanced faculty sense of belonging. Barriers to engagement included competing demands, process challenges, and uncertainty. Study results suggest strategies for the promotion of faculty sense of belonging and engagement in Communities of Practice. Consideration of contributors to a sense of belonging may enhance efforts to design and improve engaging faculty development programs.

MODELS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR BIOLOGY TEACHERS IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIAL CHANGES

This article aims to explore the impact of social changes on the professional development of biology teachers. The purpose of the study is the analysis of modern challenges in the field of education and the development of a model of professional growth of a biology teacher. The following methods are employed in the study: analysis and synthesis of literature on the research topic to determine the current state of the investigated problem, systematic analysis, and synthesis of obtained information to identify the main models of professional development for biology teachers. The regulatory framework ensuring conditions for the professional development of teachers has been analyzed. Modern economic and technological changes, socio-cultural and political transformations, dynamics of interethnic and cultural relations in Ukraine, high population mobility, and migration processes affect the education system and the professional development of teachers. In the scientific discourse, among effective models of professional development for teachers, scholars distinguish: concepts of teaching and development of teachers' professional abilities based on knowledge (knowledge for practice, knowledge in practice, personal knowledge); models of professional development for educators (training model, award-bearing model, deficit model, cascading model, standards-based model, coaching/mentoring model, community of practice model, action research model, transformational model); competency, cognitive, human-centered models; models of applied science, craftsmanship, reflective, apprentice-expert model, rationalist model, case studies model, cascading. The author proposes an original model of professional development, which involves six stages: analysis of contemporary challenges, professional training based on teachers' needs, creation of an individual development plan, integration of innovative technologies into professional activities, self-evaluation, and the establishment and support of professional communities. The main research results indicate the need to reconsider traditional approaches to teaching biology and emphasize the use of modern technologies in the professional development of teachers for successful implementation of changes in the educational environment.

Three-Tiered Communities of Practice and Professional Development Model

Many global studies indicate academicians in higher education institutions are alone in their development journey. When the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia had set in motion Higher Education 4.0, focus was on academicians’ Professional Development (PD), to adapt Learning and Teaching 4.0. This is a qualitative case study on a Malaysian private higher educational institution that fostered PD by creating organizational Communities of Practice (CoP). Focus group discussions with fourteen experienced academicians who were actively involved in many CoPs, revealed in-depth knowledge on the workings of CoPs. The results were further reviewed by two subject matter experts in CoP, a Malaysian professor from an esteemed national university and an international consultant on group mentoring for organizational development. The study found CoPs benefitted the academicians to improve and sustain technologically advanced pedagogical methods and other academic duties towards Education 4.0. Additionally, organizational development was evident because of the CoPs, as these academicians’ won awards at exhibitions, produced more publications, improved the overall standards of teaching and classroom management. This study revealed organizational CoPs have three levels of workings to be nurtured for its efficiency and sustainability, the individual CoP members, the CoP and the organization where its embedded, thus the development of the Three-Tiered CoP and PD model.

The impact of an innovators group on the development of a culture of innovation in the use of educational technologies

Realising the full potential for educational technologies to improve the student experience is a challenge for higher education institutions. Although academic resistance is often blamed for poor dissemination of teaching technologies, recent literature has more satisfactorily framed the issue in terms of intransigent organisational culture. Features of higher education organisational culture that are conducive to innovation include senior executive support, freedom to experiment and permission to fail and interdisciplinary and cross-institutional engagement. One approach to changing organisational culture is to establish new organisational structures embodying positive traits. This study qualitatively evaluated a technology in teaching innovators group established in 2018 in a science, health and engineering faculty of an Australian university; it provides evidence that the group improved the culture of teaching technology innovation by creating a safe space for innovation, which members then disseminated into their departmental communities. The study also found that the group created a forum for teaching technology innovators to engage with stakeholders in the university’s learning and teaching and information and communication technology units, leading to improved outcomes for the university’s learning environment. Implications for practice or policy Teaching technology dissemination in higher education can be enhanced through a community of practice model. Higher education learning technology environments can be improved through an innovators group leading to greater cross-institutional collaboration. Educational technology staff may be able to overcome academic resistance to strategic projects by pursuing a community of practice approach.

Modeling a Community of Practice for Global Competence : A Collaborative Autoethnography of College EFL Learners

In our increasingly interconnected contemporary society, the imperative of nurturing global citizenship and competence is evident when it comes to addressing the multifaceted challenges stemming from globalization. This study explores strategies for bridging the gap between in-class and out-of-class learning while expanding the reach of global competence into out-of-class learning settings. Building upon the General English course model by Oh (2021), which focuses on fostering global citizenship and competence, this research investigates the feasibility of implementing a supportive Community of Practice (CoP) model tailored for out-of-class learning environments. This study specifically assesses the potential of an online CoP model as a platform for the continuous cultivation and application of global citizenship and competence. Employing a collaborative autoethnographic approach, the research delves into the experiences of five university-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners actively participating in this CoP. The research scrutinizes various dimensions of their engagement, encompassing their experiences within the CoP, prospective enhancements to the model, and the impact of digital tools on their learning journey, such as machine translation and ChatGPT on their learning journeys. The findings of this study illuminate the transformative effects of CoP activities on learners' attitudes, learning strategies, and the development of global citizenship and competence. Furthermore, it underscores the pivotal role of learners proactively harnessing technology, such as the ones mentioned above, in advancing both their level of global citizenship and their language proficiency. Additionally, the research underscores learners' comprehension of the rationale behind learning activities as a critical factor in fostering meaningful engagement. Ultimately, this research offers a blueprint for nurturing the essential skills and perspectives necessary for learners to evolve as engaged global citizens in an interconnected and interdependent world. It aligns with the imperative of fostering global competence in response to the pressi ng demands of our globali zed era.

ANALISIS DESKRIPTIF IMPLEMENTASI KEBIJAKAN PROGRAM PENDIDIKAN PADA HOMESCHOOLING & PKBM ANUGRAH BANGSA SEMARANG

The aim of this research was to analyze: (a) homeschooling as an alternative education in some communities, (b) homeschooling education programs facilitated by institutions (c) exploring cultural aspects in homeschooling education, (d) the implementation of government policies in the Non-Formal Education shown as equality procedures for homeschoolers. This research applied qualitative methods with a descriptive analysis approach. The subjects in this research were institutions that housed single homeschooling and community homeschooling called Homeschooling and PKBM Anugrah Bangsa. The research was conducted by following the steps and processes of inductive qualitative research. The research found three main findings; (a) the choice of homeschooling as an alternative education with a single (independent) and community (classical) practice model has reasons, motivations, methods and approaches as well as developing children's talents and interests as well as efforts to build a child's future. (b) a factual model of the implementation of government policies in the implementation of educational programs shown as applied curriculum and procedures for switching to formal schools.

Towards a psychosocial formulation of newly qualified social worker supervision: bringing the self into supervision

ABSTRACT This paper details the evaluation of a psychosocial model of reflective supervision piloted by the authors with a group of Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE) supervisors who supported newly qualified social workers. The authors proposed that a psychosocial approach to reflective supervision, based on the integration of Kleinian object-relations and systemic theory, had the potential to reduce the anxiety of newly qualified social workers as they entered the profession. The supervisors undertook training in the model online over three separate days, with supervisors encouraged to apply the ideas between sessions and reflect upon their experiences with peers in a community of practice model. Although evidencing a reduction in NQSW anxiety proved problematic, the evaluation did demonstrate that the psychosocial approach to supervision was welcomed by the supervisors, and that it brought the selves of both the supervisors and supervisee into supervision, through an exploration of relationships, identity, and emotion. Organisational resistance in the form of social defences against anxiety that denied the emotionality and subjectivity of social worker experience were highlighted by supervisors; however, these appear to be mitigated by the community of practice element of the model.

Development and piloting of a Community of Practice to support learning and improvement in health promotion practice within NSW local health district.

Health Promotion Units within New South Wales (NSW) local health districts (LHDs) frequently collaborate and test innovations to address priority health issues or approaches to support the implementation of a health promotion program in a way that is consistent with the needs, resources, and contexts of their regions. Compatible with learning health system approaches, mechanisms to facilitate the exchange of evidence and expertise across districts could improve the collective impact of health promotion services across the state. This study aimed to assess the use of a health promotion Community of Practice (CoP) model as a strategy to achieve this. Type of program or service: This paper describes and shares experiences from the development and piloting process of a CoP model to develop, evaluate and exchange learnings to improve approaches to support the adoption of an effective healthy lunchbox program ('SWAP IT') across three LHDs. The functioning of the CoP was supported by key activities, funding and infrastructure over a 2-year period, including: planning workshops, implementation check-ins, and knowledge exchange meetings. A particularly novel aspect of the CoP was the harmonised evaluation of different, locally developed strategies to facilitate program adoption across the three LHDs. The alignment of the CoP with local and state priorities, as well as the operation of the CoP in a way that did not impose significant time demands, was seen as important for the sustainability of the CoP. Findings from the piloting process suggest that a formalised CoP shows promise as an effective model to enhance health promotion collaboration, information sharing and practice across LHDs, which may be suitable for broader application across the state.

The feasibility, acceptability, cost and benefits of a "communities of practice" model for improving the quality of childcare centres: a mixed-methods study in the informal settlements in Nairobi.

Informal childcare centres have mushroomed in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya to meet the increasing demand. However, centre providers are untrained and the facilities are below standard putting children at risk of poor health and development. We aimed to co-design and test the feasibility, acceptability, cost and potential benefits of a communities of practice (CoP) model where trained community health volunteers (CHVs) provide group training sessions to build skills and improve practices in informal childcare centres. A CoP model was co-designed with sub-county health teams, centre providers and parents with inputs from Kidogo, government nutritionists and ECD experts and implemented in 68 childcare centres by trained CHVs. Its feasibility and potential benefits were measured quantitatively and qualitatively. Centre provider (n = 68) and CHV (n = 20) knowledge and practice scores before and after the intervention were assessed and compared. Intervention benefits were examined using linear regressions adjusting for potential confounding factors. We conducted in-depth interviews with 10 parents, 10 CHVs, 10 centre providers and 20 local government officials, and two focus groups with CHVs and centre providers. Qualitative data were analysed, focusing on feasibility, acceptability, potential benefits, challenges and ideas for improvement. Cost for delivering and accessing the intervention were examined. The intervention was acceptable and feasible to deliver within existing government community health systems; 16 CHVs successfully facilitated CoP sessions to 58 centre providers grouped into 13 groups each with 5-6 centre providers, each group receiving four sessions representing the four modules. There were significant improvements in provider knowledge and practice (effect size = 0.40; p < 0.05) and quality of centre environment (effect size = 0.56; p < 0.01) following the intervention. CHVs' scores showed no significant changes due to pre-existing high knowledge levels. Qualitative interviews also reported improvements in knowledge and practices and the desire among the different participants for the support to be continued. The total explicit costs were USD 22,598 and the total opportunity costs were USD 3,632 (IQR; USD 3,570, USD 4,049). A simple model delivered by CHVs was feasible and has potential to improve the quality of informal childcare centres. Leveraging these teams and integration of the intervention into the health system is likely to enable scale-up and sustainability in Kenya and similar contexts.

Impact of a regional community of practice for academic developers engaged in institution-level support for SoTL

ABSTRACT Academic developers play a key role in advancing instructor engagement in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) at their higher education institutions, but face structural and epistemological isolation. To leverage the knowledge and experience of developers leading SoTL efforts at their respective institutions, a group of academic developers co-created a regional community of practice (CoP) centered on developing evidence-based strategic plans and programming models to advance SoTL at their. We describe the development and outcomes of this regional CoP. Future directions for the use of such a regional CoP model to collaboratively develop cross-institutional offerings are also discussed.

A community of practice approach to the co-development of digital pedagogy: a case study of primary school teacher education practicum

ABSTRACT This case study aims to identify which characteristics that define the concept of Community of Practice (CoP) can be recognised at the primary school teacher education practicum and how stakeholders perceive digital pedagogy in the context of practices for co-development. The case study took place in a primary school teacher education practicum at the University of Lapland in Finland and involved teacher educators (n = 2), student teachers (n = 5), and in-service primary school teacher mentors (n = 6) who are considered the stakeholders of the case study. The results indicate that the practicum included characteristics that, to some extent, supported the CoP model, including the criteria negotiated goal, addressed challenges, co-development of the community, leveraged individual’s expertise, and regular and intentional interaction. The stakeholders perceived digital pedagogy as an approach that, through employing variety of digital technologies in their teaching practices, can enhance the pupils’ learning process.

Mid‐career faculty peer mentoring: Rationale and program design

AbstractWhile formal early career mentoring is considered significant for faculty success, few universities have instituted programmatic mid‐career mentoring. We review the reasons mid‐career mentoring is important especially for under‐represented (URM) faculty and consider the ways the entrenched model of one‐on‐one mentoring can fail URM faculty. We advocate for a feminist‐inspired peer mentoring approach using a Community of Practice model that supports mentoring as advocacy. We then describe how our own mid‐career mentoring program enacts this approach and offer lessons learned that include the need to make a cost‐analysis case.

Pharmacists' continuing professional development for non-communicable diseases management: A consensus study.

Pharmaceutical care for non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Indonesia needs improvement especially in provinces like Kalimantan Selatan (Kalsel) with increasing NCD prevalence. This research explored possible improvements for Kalsel pharmacists NCD Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes. The study aims to identify Kalsel pharmacists' engagement with, experiences of, and expectations for NCD-focused CPD activities, and CPD stakeholders' views on these expectations. This sequential mixed-methods study used a quantitative survey to map Kalsel pharmacists' CPD engagement and preferences. The survey findings, and Kalsel pharmacists' knowledge and skills in NCD management, were further explored in four geographically-diverse focus group discussions (FGDs). Triangulated findings from the survey and FGDs were presented to pharmacist CPD stakeholders in a modified Nominal Group Technique (NGT) discussion, resulting in a prioritised list of CPD activities and allocation of local leadership for each activity. The survey response rate was 51% (249/490) with fair representation of the geographic spread. CPD sessions were seen as a social event to network with colleagues (34%) and improve knowledge (31%). Major hindrances for participation were work commitments (25%) and travel needs (22%). Most participants (64%), especially the more senior, preferred explicitly interactive CPD formats (adjusted odds ratio 0.94 for each additional year from graduation; 95% confidence interval 0.89-0.99; p=0.036). The FGDs identified challenges in managing NCD, strengths and gaps in NCD knowledge, and preferences for NCD CPD. The modified NGT produced 12 actions which five major stakeholders agreed to lead. An explicitly interactive NCD CPD programme based on a community of practice model and supported by blended learning is likely to be most effective for pharmacists in the Kalimantan Selatan province of Indonesia. A co-designed multi-stakeholder systems-based approach to CPD programme, as used in this study, is likely to increase the engagement and success of the programme.

On Reflection: Learning, Meaning and Identity in the Design Studio

Successfully transitioning to a more sustainable building sector will require schools of architecture to explore new methods, approaches and formats for learning. Challenging some of the outdated values and assumptions at the core of the architecture profession starts in the design studio, where early professional identities, relationships and understandings of collaboration are forged. While there is an increasing focus on inter- and transdisciplinary learning in today’s higher education landscape, investigations into the pedagogy of the design studio are both relatively limited and disproportionately dominated by theory based on Donald Schön’s ideas on the “reflective practitioner”. In reality, the lack of any kind of coherent training for teaching staff means that most often approaches tend to reproduce that which the teachers themselves experienced during their own studies. The paper uses a series of autoethnographic vignettes to describe design studio teaching at Natural Building Lab from the perspective of a university educator based on the example of a masters design studio in winter 2021-22. Etienne Wenger’s Communities of Practice model, and specifically the four dimensions of design for learning, are used to unpack and discuss some of the dialogies at work in studio learning. The study should be seen as a form of practice-based research, using teaching formats as a way to actively gain new insights into new forms of practice with a focus on sustainability and student-empowerment. The paper provides an intimate and personal insight into some of the questions and challenges facing educators, students and project partners as participants in emergent and collective learning processes.

Enhancing Clinical Teaching in Critical Thinking, High-Value Care, and Health Care Equity.

Faculty development in the clinical setting is challenging to implement and assess. This study evaluated an intervention (IG) to enhance bedside teaching in three content areas: critical thinking (CT), high-value care (HVC), and health care equity (HCE). The Communities of Practice model and Theoretical Domains Framework informed IG development. Three multidepartmental working groups (WGs) (CT, HVC, HCE) developed three 2-hour sessions delivered over three months. Evaluation addressed faculty satisfaction, knowledge acquisition, and behavior change. Data collection included surveys and observations of teaching during patient care. Primary analyses compared counts of post-IG teaching behaviors per hour across intervention group (IG), comparison group (CG), and WG groups. Statistical analyses of counts were modeled with generalized linear models using the Poisson distribution. Eighty-seven faculty members participated (IG n = 30, CG n = 28, WG n = 29). Sixty-eight (IG n = 28, CG n = 23, WG n = 17) were observed, with a median of 3 observation sessions and 5.2 hours each. Postintervention comparison of teaching (average counts/hour) showed statistically significant differences across groups: CT CG = 4.1, IG = 4.8, WG = 8.2; HVC CG = 0.6, IG = 0.9, WG = 1.6; and HCE CG = 0.2, IG = 0.4, WG = 1.4 ( P < .001). A faculty development intervention focused on teaching in the context of providing clinical care resulted in more frequent teaching of CT, HVC, and HCE in the intervention group compared with controls. WG faculty demonstrated highest teaching counts and provide benchmarks to assess future interventions. With the creation of durable teaching materials and a cadre of trained faculty, this project sets a foundation for infusing substantive content into clinical teaching.

Evaluating the effectiveness of an intensive faculty development program based on the community of practice model

This paper reports on the outcomes of a focused Interprofessional Leadership (IPL) Fellows Program, which utilizes the Community of Practice framework. This framework encourages diverse faculty to work together in a structured manner to address critical Interprofessional Education (IPE) issues at a large, research intensive university. Information on the perspectives and behaviors of the first three cohorts selected from 2016-18 (53 individuals) were collected from multiple sources after program completion and assessed. The results indicated a positive effect. The IPL Fellows IPE interactions expanded significantly, awareness of IPE concepts increased, and enhanced teaching skills were reported. Most importantly, 81% of the participants remained involved in IPE activities after completing the program. Keys to the program's success were a longitudinal, structured, theory-based process; a selection procedure designed to choose a diverse set of dedicated faculty; and an institutional pathway intended to encourage participant involvement in the IPE movement after program completion.

Defining Student-as-Teacher Curricula in the Absence of National Guidelines: An Innovative Model.

Teaching is a critical skill in the medical profession, yet has only recently gained recognition as a core skill for medical students and trainees. Student-as-teacher (SAT) programs provide medical students formal teaching instruction with opportunities for practice. While efforts to determine how SAT courses should be taught are ongoing, the authors' review of SAT programs in medical schools' curricula shows they are diverse and often developed by faculty and trainees who advocate for formal teacher training at their institutions, rather than by medical school leadership. Consequently, there is significant heterogeneity among known SAT programs with regard to content, format, and evaluation methods. As efforts are underway to create guidelines and competency frameworks for SAT programs, medical educators must engage in open and critical discussion about the optimal content and organization for SAT educational experiences, emphasizing outcomes-based value and curricular and experiential consistency across programs. The authors describe an innovative SAT elective at Harvard Medical School (HMS), discuss research supporting curricular content and decisions, and emphasize potential implications for the conception and implementation of SAT programs at other institutions. The HMS SAT course is a year-long, elective, longitudinal curriculum built on a community of practice model and comprising 5 key components: Fundamentals of Medical Education seminar series, teaching field experiences, teaching observations, final educational product, and self-reflection. This 5-component theoretically justified model covers essential topics of SAT programming, providing students a comprehensive educational skills training curriculum. Medical educators developing SAT courses must identify common core competencies and curricular activities to implement SAT programs informed by the perspective of local stakeholders and institutional needs. Further growth of SAT programs in medical education offers opportunities for collaboration and coordination among medical educators, institutions, and licensing and accreditation bodies, to further develop consistent guidelines for teaching medical education skills to future medical educators.